Apple планирует AirPods с камерами для AI-Siri и второй складной iPhone к 2027 году

Apple plans to release AirPods with built-in cameras by late 2027 — Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has clarified details of rumors circulating since the beginning of the year.

Cameras in the Earpiece Stems

Miniature cameras will be placed directly in the stems of AirPods. According to Gurman, light indicators will appear nearby: they light up when data is sent to Apple's cloud. Internal testing is already underway — developers are testing devices in parallel with iOS 28, an update that will be released in fall 2027. The main function of the cameras is to provide the updated Siri with "visual context" about the user's surroundings. The assistant will be able not only to hear questions but also to see what exactly is in front of the user at a specific moment.

What Siri Can Do With Cameras

This is part of Apple's large-scale AI strategy, which also includes work on smart glasses. Cameras in the earbuds open up fundamentally new scenarios:

• Real-time translation of signs, menus, or documents without needing to take out a phone
• Contextual hints based on what is in the field of view
• Recognition of objects, products, and places around the user
• Navigation assistance in unfamiliar spaces
• Synchronization of visual context with other devices in the ecosystem

For now, data processing details are not disclosed: it is unknown what will be analyzed directly on the device and what will be processed in the cloud. Light indicators suggest that some data is definitely transmitted to Apple's servers.

Second Foldable iPhone in the Same Year

In parallel, Gurman has clarified details of another 2027 project — a second foldable iPhone. The first generation foldable smartphone is expected earlier, presumably in 2026, while the company plans to release the next version by 2027. This is an unusual update pace for a new form factor. As a rule, Apple typically waits at least a year, and sometimes two, before iterating on a completely new device category. Planning a successor before the original release indicates high confidence from engineering teams in the platform.

iOS 28 as a Platform for New Hardware

AirPods with cameras are being tested under iOS 28, not iOS 27, which will be released this fall. This is typical for Apple: new hardware is tied to a specific OS version that provides it with key capabilities. This means full-fledged AI functions for camera-equipped AirPods are a next-year matter.

What This Means

Apple is systematically building an ecosystem of AI devices: phone, earbuds, glasses, and Vision Pro headset. AirPods with cameras — the next logical step, allowing Apple to add "vision" to a device that users wear almost constantly. If Siri gets access to images from the earbuds, the assistant will transform from an app on the screen into a companion that sees the world together with the user.